Can changing your postures significantly alter the evolution of your life? Give your learners a valuable tool to face their next stressful evaluative situation, whether it be the lunchroom table or an important job interview. Social...

Young historians examine the gestures of human subjects represented in Mannerist, Baroque and Renaissance paintings. After they play charades and attempt to match dialogue with body language, learners create a drawing that includes...

There is a wonderful magic that happens when artists collaborate. Kids examine storytelling through collaborative art. Inspired by Rodin's sculpture Minotaur, Daria Martin and Anna Halprin create a filmed dance sequence. Kids analyze the...

The Olmec were an ancient people native to Mexico who lived from 1000-500 BC. Young artists examine the Olmec piece Seated Figure to analyze the use of body language to communicate a tone or feeling. They then use clay or play-dough to...

Many developmentally disabled students struggle with accurately conveying messages and interpreting those of others around them, especially when they are non-verbal. This lesson plan contains fun activities and exercises, such as talking...

A lesson instills the importance of how empathy has the ability to aid in stopping bullying behavior. Scholars discuss, in-depth, a series of three questions. Using class input, an anchor chart is made then displayed for reference.

Life changes may cause stress. Here, scholars identify stressful situations in a peer's life and offer coping skills to make for a better day. A short story, "Stressed Out Sally," provides pupils with a look inside a bad day. After...

A lesson plan help scholars identify emotions through facial expressions. After a friendly puppet reads scholars a poem all about feelings, learners act out how they would feel when a specific action happens to them. Participants watch...

"What are feelings?" and "Why are feelings important to understand?" are the essential questions of a lesson that boosts self-awareness. Scholars discuss the four basic emotions—happy, sad, scared, and mad—in preparation for a creative...

Good communication skills are key to resolving conflicts. A short video introduces learners to the concept of active listening and provides tips that will help them resolve conflicts. Class members then read articles, analyze scenarios,...

It's not always easy to say "no". Give scholars the power and confidence to stand up for themselves with several steps to communicate using their voice and body language. 

Draw it out! Sometimes creating a picture is an easier way for pupils to express how they are feeling. A short mini-lesson encourages just that approach. After drawing an expressive picture, artists are asked to reflect on their work and...

Learning to read body language, especially facial expressions, is the focus of a mini-lesson. Young learners examine a series of photographs, identify the emotion being illustrated, and then discuss the cues that revealed the emotion.

Boost social awareness with an activity that challenges scholars to recognize bullying. Participants read 10 scenarios and respond after carefully examining behaviors such as body language, facial expressions, and frequency. 

Scholars test their skills of reading body language with a collaborative learning experience that focuses on showing and identifying emotions. Pairs take turns acting out an emotion, one uses body language while the other guesses what...

A discussion opens a instructional activity all about verbal and non-verbal communication. Demonstrations and a list are made to provide examples of different types of communication. Pairs or small groups open their envelope to reveal...

A read-aloud of the story, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, begins a lesson all about big emotions. Scholars share a time when someone they know exhibited strong feelings, focusing on what they said, looked like, and how they...

Nonverbal communication is the focus of a lesson that explores the use of body language. First, an interactive feelings game familiarizes scholars with a variety of emotions. Then partners roleplay scenarios in which one acts out an...

What is your body saying that maybe your words aren't? Scholars explore the vast world of the subtle, and not-so-subtle, nonverbal communication cues through group and individual work. Lesson seven in a series of peacebuilding exercises...

When it comes to learning a language and literacy, understanding nonverbal communication is often as important as verbal communication. An interactive body language activity incorporates role play to demonstrate the difference between...

Listen, look, speak, and move are the routine steps of the English language development lessons found in a We Can Work It Out themed unit. Language proficiency is reinforced through picture cards, poems, and grand discussions about...

As part of their study of communication skills, class members practice using verbal and non-verbal techniques to appropriately express their feelings.